Note: Descriptions are shown in the official language in which they were submitted.
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AROMA DELIVERY DEVICE
ABSTRACT
A horseshoe-shaped clip formed of a non-volatile elastomeric resin combined
with one or more volatile aromatic materials, the clip being comfortably,
easily, and
releasably applied to the cartilaginous septum of a wearer's nose, whereby
aromatic
material continuously given off by the clip is entrained in the nasal
inhalations of a
wearer and conveyed thereby to the wearer's olfactory sensors to create a
desired
aromatic sensation. The device is useful in administering aromatherapy.
Preferably, the
aromatic material is applied to the surface of resin beads prior to injection
molding of the
clip. The clip is thereby permeated throughout by the aromatic material such
that
emission of the material is virtually undiminished over long periods of use,
and the clip
may be cleaned, washed, reshaped, or resurfaced. An attachable clip supplement
including a second aromatic material may be provided to afford a user a choice
of
combinations of secondary aromas with the primary clip aroma.
AROMA DELIVERY DEVICE
Descr~tion
The present invention relates to apparatus for delivering aromatic materials
to olfactory
receptors in the nose, more particularly to odoriferous apparatus for
insertion into the
nose, and most particularly to a semi-rigid, flexible nose clip, incorporating
one or more
aromatic materials, for removable retention in the nose to provide a
continuous supply of
the aromatic material to the interior of the nose. More generally, the present
invention
relates to means for directly, continuously, and exclusively administering
aromatherapy
to an individual person.
Aromatic material or chemical compound, as used herein, refers to any material
or compound capable of existing in a gaseous or vapor state and, while in this
state,
being received in olfactory receptors of the nose, thereby to create a
sensation of an
aroma in the brain. (The terms aroma, odor, fragrance, and smell may be used
herein
interchangeably to refer to the sensation produced.) Thus, "aromatic" is an
objective
descriptor of a material or chemical compound, regardless of whether an aroma
is
actually being produced at any given time.
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It is known that the mental state of a person may be influenced and altered by
exposure of that person's olfactory system to any of a myriad of aromatic
materials, a
fact highly useful to, for example, perfume manufacturers, chefs, and skunks.
Further, it
is believed by many persons that some types of olfactory alteration of the
mental state
can give rise to alteration of the physical state, for example, to promote or
accelerate
healing.
Aromatic materials have been used in folk art and medicine for many years. In
the early part of the 20th century, the French chemist Rene-Maurice Gattefosse
coined
the term "aromatherapy" to connote the use of aromas to promote mental and
physical
well-being. Many such materials, especially so-called "essential oils" derived
from a
wide variety of plants, or their synthetic counterparts, are commonly used
today in
aromatheraphy to relieve specific mental and physical distress; for example,
oil of rose is
said to relieve anger, a mixture of oil of lavender, geranium, ylang-ylang,
bergamot, and
melissa is said to relieve anxiety, oil of rosemary and basil or mint and
jasmine is said to
relieve drowsiness, and oil of lavender is said to relieve jet lag and panic
attack; while oil
of peppermint is said to relieve headache, oil of peppermint and nutmeg or
lavender and
cypress is said to relieve menstrual cramps, and oil of chamomile and lemon is
said to
relieve hay fever.
Suitable aromatic materials can be extremely expensive, for example, a
five-mililitre bottle of oil of citrus, lavender, peppermint, rosemary, or tea
tree can cost
$4-$6, while a 1 /3-ounce bottle of Turkish rose oil can cost $175. Thus, it
is highly
desirable that they be used with great efficiency, that is, that a high
percentage of the
material be taken up in the olfactory system of the consumer.
Further, such aromatic materials tend to evaporate readily and also to lose
potency when subjected to sunlight. Therefore, they typically are stored in
amber glass
bottles to extend an otherwise short shelf life.
Aromatherapy requires a means for delivering the aromatic agent to the nose.
In
the prior art, a typical treatment can comprise from as little as a few sniffs
of the agent to
long sessions with several hundred sniffs per day. In general, however, a
relatively long
exposure to the aromatic material is most beneficial.
Such exposure in the prior art can be difficult and expensive to provide.
Since
the sensation of aroma may require only minute amounts of airborne aromatic
material,
full-strength materials may be diluted with innocuous carrier oils such as
animal or
mineral oils to form lotions or creams. The aromatic mixture may be rubbed
onto the
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body around the neck and chest, where normal body heat vaporizes the mixture
to release
the aromatic material for inhalation. The person treated may have to wash the
oil off the
body after treatment to resume normal daily activities, otherwise the aroma
can be
detected by other persons throughout the day. Many persons experience skin
irritation or
allergic reactions to such topical application.
Alternatively, a mixture may be delivered by a diffuser vaporizer wherein the
oils are mixed with water and heated to release the agent, or may be mixed
into candle
wax, candle wick, or incense stick and released by burning of the candle or
stick. These
vaporizing methods tend to provide aromatic agent throughout large areas, and
thus are
highly wasteful of the materials. Further, these methods are not practical for
use while
engaged in many other activities, such as while driving a car, riding on a
bus, exercising
in a gymnasium, or being outdoors or in an office or in other public places.
Another prior art delivery means is via bath oil, bath soap, and bath gel
perfumes.
To be therapeutic, these mixtures require the consumer to bathe, and such
fragrances
used on the body are noticed by other persons and may have to be separately
washed off
in order not to offend. To change the aroma several times per day, using this
method, is
impractical, and some aromatherapy fragrances, such as banana or peppermint,
may not
be desirable body fragrances.
Still other prior art delivery means are devices such as a wick or cotton ball
saturated with aromatic oil and contained in a cylinder, ampule, or felt-tip
container,
whereby the aromatic material can be delivered to the nose by sniffing the
device several
times in each nostril throughout the day. While more efficient than the above-
described
means in delivering the material to the nose, these devices usually cannot be
used
discreetly in public, and further, require the use of two hands, one to hold
the cap or to
hold one nostril closed, and the other to administer the material. To use
these devices,
the consumer must stop an activity such as writing, typing, exercising,
reading, or
sleeping to administer the aromatherapy, which can be impractical, especially
when
several hundred sniffs per day must be provided.
What is needed is a passive, unobtrusive device for continuous delivery of an
aromatherapeutic agent to a consumer's olfactory system via normal breathing
which is
comfortable to use and is inexpensive to manufacture.
US Patent No. 5,850,834 discloses a U-shaped nose clip wherein opposed
elements are magnetized to secured the clip onto a wearer's nasal septum by
magnetic
attraction of the elements. Because the thickness of the septum can vary among
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individual users, the strength of the magnetic attraction can be insufficient
to retain the
clip in some wearers' noses.
US Patent No. 5,479,944 discloses a flat nose clip which may be bent into a
curved spring prior to insertion into a wearer's nostrils wherein it is
retained by spring
force against the nasal side walls. This mode of retention can be unpleasant
for some
persons.
It is a principal obj ect of the invention to provide an improved device for
continuously supplying an aroma-inducing agent directly into the nose of a
consumer.
It is a further object of the invention to provide an improved supplying
device
which may be worn continuously without discomfort.
It is a still further object of the invention to provide an improved supplying
device which may be worn inconspicuously.
It is a still further object of the invention to provide an improved supplying
device which does not impinge the supplied aroma onto other persons, that is,
which
limits the supplied aroma to an individual consumer.
It is a still further object of the invention to provide an improved supplying
device which has no moving parts and requires no source of power.
It is a still further object of the invention to provide an improved supplying
device which is hygienic, does not absorb moisture, and can be washed as
desired
without loss in effectiveness.
It is a still further object of the invention to provide a array of improved
supplying devices whereby an array of aromas can be presented quickly and
efficiently.
It is a still further object of the invention to provide an improved supplying
device which can be manufactured inexpensively.
Briefly described, an aroma delivery device in accordance with the invention
comprises a horseshoe-shaped clip formed of a non-volatile elastomeric resin
combined
with one or more volatile aromatic materials, the clip being comfortably and
easily
applied to and retained on the cartilagineous septum of a wearer's nose,
whereby the
aromatic material being continuously given off by the clip is entrained in the
nasal
inhalations of a wearer and conveyed thereby to the wearer's olfactory sensors
to create a
desired aroma sensation.
Methods for combining the aromatic materials with elastomeric resin can
include,
but are not limited to, compounding the materials with the resin during
formation of the
resin, applying the materials to the surface of the clip after formation
thereof, or,
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preferably, applying the materials to the surface of resin beads just prior to
injection
molding of the clip.
In a preferred embodiment of the invention, formed in accordance with the
preferred method, the clip is permeated throughout by the aromatic materials
such that
emission of the materials is virtually undiminished over long periods of use,
and further,
that such emission is continued though the clip be cleaned, washed, reshaped,
or
resurfaced.
In a further preferred embodiment of the invention, a clip supplement
including a
second aromatic material is provided which may be mechanically attached to a
clip
including a first aromatic material, thereby affording a user a choice of
combinations of
secondary aromas with the primary clip aroma.
The foregoing and other objects, features, and advantages of the invention, as
well as presently preferred embodiments thereof, will become more apparent
from a
reading of the following description in connection with the accompanying
drawings in
which:
FIG. 1 is a plan view of a prior art ornamental nasal clip;
FIG. 2 is a front elevational view of the nasal clip shown in FIG. 1;
FIG. 3 is a plan view of a first preferred embodiment of an aroma delivery
device
in accordance with the invention;
FIG. 4 is an elevational view of the device shown in FIG. 3;
FIG. 5 is a plan view of a second preferred embodiment;
FIG. 6 is a cross-sectional view of the device shown in FIG. 5, taken along
line
6-6 in FIG. 5;
FIG. 7 is a first vertical cross-sectional view of the device shown in FIG. 3,
showing the device installed in a wearer's nose, and showing the transfer of
vaporized
aromatic materials from the device to the wearer's olfactory sensors by
inhaled breath;
and
FIG. 8 is a second cross-sectional view orthogonal to the view shown in FIG.
7,
taken along line 8-8 in FIG. 7.
Referring to FIGS. 1 and 2, prior art ornamental nasal clip 10 is shown
substantially as in US Design Patent No. 375,552 issued November 12, 1996 to
Davi. As
clip 10 is disclosed in a design patent, it has no stated utility but is
similar in overall
shape and size to an aroma delivery device in accordance with the invention.
Clip 10 is
generally V-shaped, comprising a first limb 12, second limb 14, and connector
16
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connecting the first and second limbs. The free ends 18,19 of each limb 12,14,
respectively, are provided with opposed non-spherical three-dimensionally
arcuate
portions 20,21 each having a larger diameter 22 than the diameter 24 of either
limb.
Referring to FIGS. 3, 4, 7, and 8, an aroma delivery device 26 in accordance
with
the invention has first and second limbs 12,14 connected by connector 16 and
having
free ends 18,19 thereof provided with opposed three-dimensional portions 28,29
which
are preferably partial cylindrical sections. The distance 30 between portions
28,29 is
preferably less than the thickness of the nasal septum of a wearer of the
device, such that
the device must be elastically deformed by pulling apart the opposed portions
to engage
the septum and is retained on the septum by the elastic force of the deformed
device.
The generally circular shape shown in these figures is presently preferred,
although any
shape wherein opposed portions engage opposite sides of the septum to retain
the device
in the nose is within the scope of the invention. Preferably, diameter 24 of
the limbs is
about the same as diameter 22 of opposed portions 28,29.
Device 26 may be formed of any elastically-deformable material which is
non-allergenic and has no significant odor, and preferably is medical grade,
for example,
polymeric resin such as polycarbonate, polyolefin, polybutyrate, polyethylene
terephthalate, polyamide, polyimide, and polyvinyl chloride. Preferably, the
forming
material may be provided as resin beads which can be melted and extruded in a
conventional extrusion/injection molding machine, as injection molding is a
preferred
method of making the device. The presently preferred material is medical grade
polyvinyl chloride, provided as resin beads, for example, compound no. 81004-
8803-C,
available from Richlind Industries, Inc., Paramus, NJ USA.
Device 26 includes an amount of one or more aromatic materials such as, for
example, a plant or animal substance, essence, or other extract or naturally-
occurring
chemical or compound, or a synthetic chemical or compound. Preferably, such
material
is a liquid, food-grade fragrance supplied to fragrance industry standards as
"Generally
Regarded As Safe" (G.R.A.S.). This material may be added to the resin during
or after
the process of forming the polymer, or it may be coated onto device 26 after
formation of
the device, or it may be added in accordance with a presently preferred method
of
making device 26, wherein resin beads are conditioned with aromatic material
prior to
being introduced into the extruder hopper. A first amount of non-aromatic
resin beads is
combined with a second amount of aromatic material in a predetermined ratio.
Preferably, the combination is tumbled in a tumble mill for about 20 minutes
to distribute
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the aromatic material evenly over the surface of the beads. If the aromatic
material does
not mechanically adhere generally to the resin beads prior to the tumbling
step, an
amount of mineral oil may be added to promote satisfactory adhesion. After
tumbling,
the coated resin beads are added to the extruder hopper, and device 26 is
injection
molded conventionally in a female mold having the shape of the device.
Different
aromatic materials may have different volatilities, and thus more volatile
materials may
require lower extrusion temperatures to avoid significant loss of volatile
materials during
extrusion. Preferably, device 26 is cured for about 48 hours at room
temperature after
molding.
A suitable aromatic material, for example, is lavender scent, catalogue no.
3742-0906, available from Incredible Scents, Inc., Glen Head, NY USA.
The preferred process just described is highly beneficial to the device
manufacturer. The molder may vary the formulation ratio in small batches
without
having to inventory large quantities of pre-formulated beads. Further, shelf
life of large
molding-ready batches is not a consideration, since each batch may be extruded
immediately after tumbling. Further, manufacturing cost can be reduced over
the cost of
using pre-formulated resins which may require long lead times and be quite
expensive.
Instead, the molder can purchase relatively inexpensively the unformulated
resin in large
quantities and store it, if necessary, for long periods without risk of loss
of aromatic
components therefrom.
The completed device 26 comprises a three-dimensional polymeric structure
fully
permeated at the molecular level by the aromatic material. The encapsulated
aromatic
material is mobile within the polymeric structure and slowly outgasses
therefrom with
time. An aroma delivery device formed in this way may have a useful lifetime
exceeding
one year. Such outgassing takes place at all exposed surfaces of the device.
In operation, referring to FIGS. 7 and 8, opposed arcuate portions 28,29 are
retracted and device 26 is inserted into nostrils 32,32' with portions 28,29
disposed on
opposite sides of septum 34. Portions 28,29 are released and immediately clasp
septum
34 therebetween by spring force, thereby releasably retaining device 26 in
nose 36.
Removal is the reverse of installation. Preferably, diameters 22,24 (FIG. 4)
are small
relative to the diameter of each nostril such that breathing is not
significantly inhibited
by the presence of device 26 in the nostrils.
Thus emplaced, device 26 is strategically located at the entrance point of the
nasal inhalation air stream 38. Molecules 40 of aromatic material escaping
from device
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26 during inhalation are turbulently entrained in air stream 38, a significant
portion of
which is directed into contact with the mucous-coated epithelial receptors 42,
where the
sensation of aroma is initiated. Entrained molecules not received during
inhalation can
make contact with the receptors during exhalation, thus increasing the
efficiency of the
device.
Device 26 is non-allergenic, non-irritating, and may be left in place
comfortably
for as long as is desired by the wearer. It may be washed or otherwise cleaned
without
loss of function, and because the aromatic material is present throughout the
volume of
the preferred embodiment of the device, the original surfaces of the device
may be
trimmed or adjusted if desired without loss of outgassing area.
Referring to FIGS. 5 and 6, a second embodiment 44 of an aroma delivery device
in accordance with the invention includes a supplementary element 46, which
may also
be formed by injection molding. Element 46 can readily be formulated to
include one or
more aromatic materials different from those included in device 26. Element 46
is
attachable to device 26, and preferably is trough-shaped as shown in FIG. 6 to
permit its
being snapped onto device 26 as shown in FIG. 5. Thus, device 26 may be
provided
with a widely used aromatic material such as G.R.A.S. lavender which may be
combined
via various aromatic formulations of element 46 to provide lavender in
combination
with, for example, peppermint, clove, rosemary, chamomile, or geranium.
From the foregoing description, it will be apparent that there has been
provided
an improved aroma delivery device, wherein an elastomeric nasal clip carries
and
presents aromatic materials into the nasal cavity. Variations and
modifications of the
herein described aroma delivery device, in accordance with the invention, will
undoubtedly suggest themselves to those skilled in this art. Accordingly, the
foregoing
description should be taken as illustrative and not in a limiting sense.
